The properties of golf courses, commercial and industrial properties, and luxurious homes often contain a body of water such as a lake, pond, or stream. To protect the shoreline from erosion and to add to the aesthetic appeal of the property, a shoreline wall is sometimes used.
It is known to use sheet piles to construct these walls. It also known to anchor the sheet piling wall by welding a horizontal support bar to a back side of the wall, along the length of the wall, welding tie back rods to the support bar and extending the tie back rods in a direction away from the water to connect to an underground earth anchor.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,447,393 and 6,053,666 illustrate examples of steel sheet pile configurations. According to these patents the steel sheets interlock with one another and form an undulating or corrugated wall. Although steel sheet piling is an effective method to construct a shoreline wall, under some circumstances it can rust when exposed to water and become less than aesthetically attractive.
Colored vinyl sheet piling walls are known and are aesthetically attractive, but because the vinyl sheet piles cannot be welded on a back side, and it is sometimes undesirable to provide holes through the sheet piles for fasteners, a top cap is used.
FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate prior art components used to construct a typical vinyl sheet piling wall. FIG. 8 illustrates two vinyl sheet piles 10 that each have a substantially U shape cross-section with extending side flange portions 14, 16. The flange portions 14, 16 include interlocking formations 14a, 16a along their length such that the piles 10, 10 can be driven side by side sequentially, and mutually interlock as each subsequent sheet pile is driven into the ground, forming a corrugated wall. As shown in FIG. 9, a top cap 18 is set on the sheet piles 10 and captures the top of the vinyl sheet piles 10. The top cap 18 is connected to tie back members 19 which are connected to earth anchorage to stabilize the sheet piling wall. The tie back members 19 are buried by backside fill. Top cap members 18 are typically provided in straight stock length. Any curvature of the wall must be accommodated by miter cutting sections of the top cap 18. Because of the need for the top cap, a vinyl wall is difficult to construct along a curved or irregular path.
The present inventor has recognized the need for a method of installing polymer or non-metallic sheet piles, such as vinyl sheet piles, that results in an attractive, stable wall.
The present inventor has recognized the need for an efficient method of installing a polymer sheet piling wall, such as a vinyl wall, along a curved path.